


Parenthood

by beeawolf



Series: Time of the underdog [9]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Poe Dameron Is A Mess, but he is doing his best!, friendship is good, raising puppies is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 07:24:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17935376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeawolf/pseuds/beeawolf
Summary: “So, parenting is hard,” Snap says conversationally, and Poe lets out a very, very tired laugh, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes.“Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, it’s, uh, something.”





	Parenthood

**Author's Note:**

> I was puppysitting the other day and was reminded of just how harrowing the puppy stage can be. So, here we are. This takes place sometime within the timeframe of "Whatever you see and love."

            Poe doesn’t answer the door when Snap gets there.

            This probably shouldn’t freak him out as much as it does, but Snap’s always been kind of a worrier. And to be fair, Poe’s always been kind of worry-worthy, even before the – even before everything. So he knocks twice before he gives up and calls Poe’s cell, listening through the door as the ringtone escalates up to a high-pitched _brrrrrRRRRIIIIIING_.

            It takes three of those before there’s a thunk, and a muffled curse – and then there’s Poe Dameron standing in the doorway, blinking up at Snap and looking like he’d recently fallen asleep in a ditch.

            Snap has a hunch that the orange-and-white puppy trying to clamber past Poe’s feet might have something to do with that.

            “Hey, shit, sorry,” Poe says, reaching up and halfheartedly attempting to flatten his hair. “I forgot you were, uh, I was...” He steps backward, gesturing for Snap to come in, and doesn’t finish the sentence. Doesn’t actually look capable of finishing a sentence, at the moment.

            “Don’t worry about it,” Snap says, kneeling down to pet the puppy, who toddles over and gnaws enthusiastically on his fingers, tiny tail wagging. “This is the kid?” he says, and glances up in time to see Poe’s grin.

            “This is the kid,” he confirms.

            Snap runs his hand over feather-soft fur, casting his gaze around the apartment. There are dog toys scattered everywhere over the living room floor – stuffed animals and rubber bones and tennis balls and tug ropes – and also some things that are definitely _not_ dog toys but have definitely _become_ dog toys, like a half-shredded roll of paper towels and what must have once been Poe’s shoe. The legs of the couch look like an enraged woodchuck got to them.

            “So, parenting is hard,” Snap says conversationally, and Poe lets out a very, very tired laugh, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes.

            “Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, it’s, uh, something.”

            Snap lifts the puppy up into his arms just before tiny teeth catch his pant leg, and the little thing squirms and twists and bites instead at his shirt collar.

            “He’s teething,” Poe says, apologetically.  

            “Uh-huh,” says Snap, shifting the puppy to pick up a toy at random to appease him. “Were you sleeping when I got here?”

            Poe just stares for a solid few seconds – long enough that Snap’s not sure the question even registered – before answering, “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this.”

            “Not what I asked,” says Snap, sitting down on the couch, the puppy now settling in his arms and squeaking his toy resolutely. “But okay. How come?”

            “Um,” says Poe, and runs a hand over his face, sighing. He sits down on the floor across from Snap, despite the presence of a perfectly good armchair beside him. “I just...I don’t know, man. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

            “Never stopped you before,” Snap says.

            Poe raises his eyebrows. “Thanks.”

            “Well, it hasn’t. And there’s the internet. There’re books. You’ll figure it out.”

            No response at all to that, which is always a bad sign with Poe, so Snap adds, “What’s going on, man?”

            “I...” Poe starts, and swallows, looking down at the floor. “I don’t know if I’m...I mean I know I’m – better – but I keep thinking, just. Maybe he’d be better off with somebody who’s – more better?”

            Snap shifts the puppy in his arms. He’s dropped the toy now, and he’s starting to feel heavier, resting his head sleepily on Snap’s forearm. “Dameron, come on. No way are you giving this dog away.”

            “I don’t _want_ to,” Poe says helplessly. “I just keep thinking, I dunno, what if I’m not giving him the best life he can have? What if I’m – holding him back, or –”

            “Come _on_ ,” Snap says again. “What d’you have, about a hundred toys here? You never leave the house without him, he gets fancier food than you do, he’s – what’d you name him again?”

            “BeeBee Ate,” Poe says, and doesn’t quite meet Snap’s eyes.

            “BeeBee Ate,” Snap repeats, grinning. “’Course.”

            “Jess thinks it’s stupid.”

            “Jess thinks everything’s stupid.”

            “Yeah.”

            “Listen,” says Snap, and Poe gazes at him so sharp and intent all of the sudden that Snap has to pause and regather his thoughts. “It doesn’t matter that you don’t know everything,” he settles on. “It doesn’t matter if you get some stuff wrong. You’re gonna take good care of him anyway. You don’t have to be perfect.”

            For a second Poe just keeps looking worried, and then his expression relaxes into a smile. “Thanks, Dad.”

            “Poe...”

            “No, really, I appreciate your ancient wisdom.”

            “You actually gonna listen to me? Or are you just gonna keep making jokes about my advanced age?”

            Poe’s smile fades, and he looks down at the puppy – at BB-8 – sleeping in Snap’s arms.

            “I’m gonna listen to you,” he says.

            “Cool,” Snap answers. “So first off: go get some sleep.”

            Poe frowns. “We were gonna go out.”

            “We were. But then I found out you’re a struggling single father.”

            “Snap –”

            “Boss. Take a fifteen-minute nap. I’ll watch the kid and then we can order a pizza or something.”

            “Yeah,” Poe says distractedly, touching a hand to his hair again. “Yeah, okay.”

            “Hey, you’re gonna pay me back in babysitting someday anyway,” Snap says, and Poe lights up.

            “’Course I am,” he says. “I mean, with your advanced age—”

            Snap groans. “Go,” he says. “Go to sleep.”

            “Whatever you say, Captain Wexley.” And Poe goes shuffling toward his bedroom before Snap can throw him the dirty look he deserves.

            Of course, at that exact moment, the puppy lifts his tiny head and _howls_.

            Poe ducks back into the hallway instantly. “Here, give him to me, I’ll—”

            “I got it,” Snap says, wincing at the series of shrieking barks right in his ear, little paws scrabbling at his sleeve.

            Poe isn’t paying attention; he’s looking around for his shoes. “I think he needs to go out, I’ll just –”

            “I got it,” Snap repeats calmly. “Where’s the leash?”

            Poe stops, and says, “On the hook by the door.”

            “All right.”

            “You sure you’re gonna be okay?”

            “I don’t know,” Snap says, “it’s pretty dangerous out there. I saw a couple pigeons earlier.”

            “Okay, okay,” Poe sighs, holding up his hands. “Thanks.” He lingers in the hall anyway, watching Snap clip the leash on, and finally retreats with another, “ _Okay_ ,” when Snap gives him a pointed look.

            “All right, bud,” Snap murmurs to the puppy as they step out into the hall. “You and me. Ready?”

            BB-8 looks up at him, all big soft eyes and orange-and-white fluff, and firmly bites down on the leash.

             

 

           

 


End file.
